Ionization Fronts and Shocked Flows: The Structure of the Orion Nebula at 0 -0.5pt.1

O'Dell, C. R.; Lauer, Tod R.; Faber, S. M.; Currie, Douglas G.; Holtzman, Jon A.; Lynds, Roger; Groth, Edward J.; Light, Robert M.; O'Neil, Earl J., Jr.; Ewald, S. P.; Hester, J. Jeff; Shaya, Edward J.; Westphal, James A.; Gilmozzi, R.; Kelsall, T.; Campbell, Bel; Code, Arthur; Danielson, G. Edward

United States, Netherlands

Abstract

Initial results are presented from images of the Orion Nebula obtained with the HST Wide-Field Camera with a resolution of better than about 10 to the 15th cm. The morphology of the forbidden S II emission is markedly different from that seen in H-beta and forbidden O II. The forbidden S II is dominated by filamentary features with widths between 0.1 and 1 arcsesc which sharply highlight ionization fronts moving into dense neutral material. While the surfaces into which these fronts are moving are textured, subarcsec clumps with high density contrast are uncommon. The fields contains a number of HH objects whose structure is revealed by the HST, and which are described.

1991 The Astrophysical Journal
eHST 40